I review books and play video games. I adore rainy days, reading, coffee, League of Legends, tattoos, and making people smile. 💗

November 2018 Wrap Up

Hey, friends! I had a strange November! I started the month off by going to Blizzcon, which was so amazing! But it put me in the worst book slump, because I came home only wanting to play video games! But, after four audiobooks I was able to break out of the slump towards the end of the month, and I was able to read fourteen things in total!

But on to what I read in November…(Like always, you can click the links in each of the titles if you would like to read a more in-depth review of each book and see the individual trigger and content warnings.)

“Looking back, it seemed to me I’d been trying to escape not just from the camp, but from Achilles’s story; and I’d failed. Because make no mistake, this was his story—his anger, his grief, his story. I was angry, I was grieving, but somehow that didn’t matter.”

This is a feminist reimagining of Homer’s The Iliad, centering on the Trojan War, but is told in a completely different light than ever before. Yes, we get to see the Trojans and Greeks battle and Achilles be the hero the world knows and loves, but this tale is all about a voice that is never heard in other renditions.

“I breathe when you breathe, I bleed when you bleed, I’m yours and you’re mine, you’ve always been mine, and I have always, always belonged to you!”

I went into this brand-new series, that has been building up in the previous series for some time now, never expecting the main story to be about a secret murderous cult. Like, the blessings. Basically, in Lady Midnight Emma is still unable to let the mysterious deaths of her parents go unsolved, even though everyone else thinks they were just the first casualties of the start of the Dark War. But it has been five years since then, and the Cold Peace is still being held up by the Shadowhunters, making it so no one can help or work with the fae.

“You get to choose who you are. Legacy, memories of the past, can serve us well. But we cannot let them define us. When heritage becomes a box instead of an inspiration, it has gone too far.”

I did adore this book. It was just what I needed. I actually was feeling really slumpy before I picked this up, and not only did it rectify that, but it reminded me why I love books and stories and fictional worlds so much. I know Brandon Sanderson isn’t for everyone, but he truly is a master at his craft and every book and series he touches turns to gold. And his world-building is honestly on a tier above all else in the genre. And, again, I cannot wait for book two. And I cannot wait to learn everything about a certain blue and orange slug.

“Remember—magic is a cheater’s game, and everyone who sees it wants to play.”

I wanted to love this so much, friends. But sadly, it just fell so very short for me. I felt like the author was trying to cram so many important things that happened in France in that time into this book, while also trying to write her own story, and both elements just made this entire story feel disjointed and left a lot to be desired.

I really did love this book, even if I didn’t love it as much as LM. I just truly think that Cassie Clare is getting more and more talented as an author, and I expect she is going to give us the entire world with QoAaD. Like, I am so hyped that I predict it will make my top five of 2018.

“I will wear the crown, and I will get it like a king. Not as a mother and wife, but as the firstborn child, as the strongest.”

This is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear unlike any reimagining I’ve ever read before. Tessa Gratton stays very true to the original play, and really makes a feminist statement on all the themes, but she made something so unique, so powerful, and so much its own thing. And every book I read from her ensures that she is becoming one of my favorite authors of all-time. From the themes she creates, to the lyrical writing she weaves, to the beautiful stories she creates, I five star everything by her. And The Queens of Innis Lear was no different, it is a masterpiece.

This is scheduled to come out in June of 2019, and will include ten stories in total, but only eight have been released singly so far! Therefore, I am not going to give this collection a total star rating, I’m just going to let you know my individual star rating for each story separately, then come release I will do more in-depth and full review, that will also include the two stories that haven’t been released yet! But I hope this post gets you all hyped, because I can’t wait to read the final Dark Artifices book with the entire community in just a few more days!

It makes me sad to say this, but this series, or maybe just Kiersten White’s writing, just is not for me. I will say that I have had very bad luck with historical books this year, so maybe that is it? Because so many of my friends love this series so much. But full review to come!

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast with a much darker theme. In this version, the Prince is forced to repeat the quest to find love over and over each season, while causing more and more bloodshed each time. But after three-hundred seasons, this season will officially be the very last one.

“ I wonder whether I’m single not because I haven’t met the right person yet, but because I’m not the right person yet.”

So, the basic premise of this book is that there is a close-knit group of friends who all work sort of together. But they constantly hang out outside of the workplace, and they really are their own little found family. Oh, and they are all supposed to be super smart and super unlucky with dating. Yeah, it gave me Big Bang Theory vibes which is never a good sign. But anyways, they all need dates to this big event (which doesn’t even happen in the book, by the way) so they all download a dating app.

“Crowning Isolde Kavanagh as the rightful queen was not the end of our rising. It was merely the beginning.”

This is the next installment, with the first book being The Queen’s Rising, and I loved this one just as much as the first! I feel like this is such an underhyped YA fantasy, by the debut author, but it is such a shining light. Plus, I got to buddy read this with Lea and it made it more perfect, because I think our friendship started because of the first book! Review to come very soon, friends!

“Sometimes I don’t know what I miss more; everything I’ve lost or everything I never had.”

Sadie is worth all the praise and hype you’ve heard about it. I had a feeling I was going to love this book, but I didn’t know that I would give it a piece of my heart. This is such a bright light in 2018 releases, and even though it handles some really tough topics, I recommend it with my entire heart and soul. And I will never forget Sadie or her story, and I will never stop listening to, and I will never stop believing, the voices of girls who have their own stories to tell.

Okay, this is a bit of a taboo story, but your girl was really craving something sexy by the end of November! And… this was just what I needed! I will say that this is a teacher/student (college) relationship and I know those aren’t for everyone. And the main character has… a lot going on! But this was a wild ride that I never wanted to get off of, honestly! Review to come ASAP!

“But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…”

I just finished this this morning, and I’m soft, and weak, and so damn happy! Review to come soon, friends! But you can read this for free HERE!

Okay, that is everything that I read! What did you read this November? And more importantly, what did you love? I can’t believe we are at the last month in 2018 already! I’m so scared that I’m going to miss out on some amazing publications that this year had to offer, and that they won’t make my best of the year list! But I have read so many amazing books this year, and I feel so very blessed! I hope you all have an amazing December, and I’m sending you all love and light always! 💛✨

Awh, thank you so much, Taasia love! I am counting down the days for QOAAD and thanking my lucky stars that it is so close! I can’t wait! And I hope you have the happiest of reading and everything else this December, love! 💖xx

So many amazing books! I also read The Silence of the Girls this month and very much enjoyed the feminist take on the Trojan War. I need to read Sadie! I have not seen a single bad review! Happy December!

Ah my heart – you didn’t love Curse So Dark – honestly I get it though. I did love it but it wasn’t like the best written book or anything – I just was total trash for it though lol

I am worried I won’t care for And I Darken – Samm hated it and thought the romance was terrible and now you aren’t into it either. Ah! I might still try it at some point but it keeps going lower and lower on my tbr.

I can’t wait to dive into Skyward myself, hopefully soon. Great to see you loved it. Too bad you didn’t really like the Christina Lauren one. That was very high upon my wishlist haha. I do love their books in general, but there are some that I didn’t found that impressive though either. They aren’t authors that I can 100% be sure about beforehand that the book is going to be a hit.

Okay, I was really hoping you were going to give a Curse so Dark and Lonely at leaaaast 4 stars hahaha. I’m bummed out now, LOL.

I’m really excited to read the Queen’s Rising. I’ve had this book on my shelf for months now, ugh. Great to see you loved the sequel just as much as the first book! Makes me even more excited!

I managed to finish 12 projects this month. I’m saying projects since, 6 of them have been short stories haha. But with my re-read of LM and LoS, which are both around 700 pages that compensates the short stories. So overall, I’m really content with the books I’ve read and most of them were at least 4-star reads so that’s great!

I bet you will REALLY enjoy Skyward! There is so much to love! That Christina Lauren one has gotten SUCH good reviews, besides me, so don’t listen to me, seriously! Hahah! I hope it is everyhting for you, love!

A Curse so Dark and Lonely actually won me over pretty hard at the end. I for sure am requesting the next book! So… get hyped, sweetheart!

I loved the Queen’s Rising. I still can’t believe that it is a debut! Like… it’s just *my perfect* type of fantasy and…. ahhh! Now I want to talk to you about ALL these books, love! Hahaha!

And you did AMAZING this month, love! Amazing! Seriously! And i hope December treats you even better, and that you’ll only have five star reads!

I AGREE with you on the writing for Now I Rise, i really found that series to be REALLY dense in writing (even though i loved the first two books) but it really grated on my experience during the last book, so i relateeeee.

queen of air and darkness is going to ruin us all and i hope you love itttt! happy reading for december ❤

Awh, May! Thank you so much, love! I haven’t written up my review for Now I Rise yet… but I’m scared! Hahaha! But I think I liked it enough to read the last book! (And I’m a sucker!) QOAAD is going to be EVERYTHING! DM me on twitter and cry with me always, please oh please!

I love you and i hope you’re having the happiest of reading, love! 💖xx

I’m glad you ended up breaking out of your slump! ❤ I know I say this like all the time, but seriously, I'M SO EXCITED FOR US TO READ QOAAD AT THE SAME TIME. I am truly, TRULY not prepared for the havoc it will wreak on my heart. I'm also so happy you loved Sadie. And ah, I just added The Unrequited to my TBR because of Chandler, and the fact that you also liked it gives it even more points in my book! Happy reading in December, friend! ❤

1.) i love you more than words and being able to gush with you over QOAAD? Legit going to be the best way to end my 2018! 2.) Praise/bless the reading slump being over! 3.) THE UNREQUITED IS… it is a ride! Hahaha! For sure a lot of side eye going on. But… it is reallly steamy and really winter-y atmospheric, surprisingly enough! I hope you have the best December, Madalyn! 💙xx